With the exception of the city’s numerous minarets and a giant flag, Amman has always been a predominantly horizontal city. But this is about to change, since the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) adopted an ambitious master plan in 2007 that allows for the construction of towers up to 200 meters tall. As urbanists, architects and property developers rub their hands to construct the future Amman skyline, critics wonder how the city’s infrastructure will cope, while Jordanian MPs in April raised questions regarding the way multi-billion dollar contracts are concluded in the kingdom. Last but not least, there is water or, more precisely, the lack of it. From the hill-top remains of a Roman temple, Amman looks a bit like a giant beehive spread out over the rolling hills, a concrete sprawl of three and four-storey buildings. From here, one can perhaps understand the Jordanian capitals’ reputation for being dull and
